‘Yes, yes, Missy Liz.’
She watched her mistress array herself in her walking things, and take down a broad sombrero hat, and a long cloak, which had belonged to her father, from the cupboard where they hung, and place brandy and a bottle of quinine, and strong smelling-salts and camphor in the basket she hung upon her arm. These proceedings only excited Rosa’s curiosity; but when Lizzie went on to load a revolver and place it in her belt, and take a huge staff in her hand, the yellow girl could contain herself no longer, but cried out,—
‘Oh, Missy Liz, Missy Liz! what you going to do with all dem things?’
‘Dare I trust you?’ said Lizzie, turning her grave, pale face towards her. ‘Will you be faithful and keep my secret if I tell you what I am going to do?’
‘Missy Liz, I will!’ replied Rosa solemnly. ‘I knows I’se berry bad gal to you once. I said drefful things what I didn’t mean; but I’se only ignorant yellow gal, Mis Liz, and I didn’t think how bad I was. But Massa Norris, he make me promise when he go ’way that I’d be good faithful servant to you, and take great care of you, and he’d bring me lubly dress from England next time he come; and I would do it, Missy Liz, without de dress, and only because I love you for all you done for me.’
‘I believe you, and I will confide in you, for I must have a friend to help me. Rosa, I am going to the Alligator Swamp to try and find Monsieur de Courcelles.’
‘De Alligator Swamp! Oh, Missy Liz! you nebber going there? You can’t walk dere for de swamp, nor de thorn bushes; and de green slime hab a smell what chokes you. Missy,’ continued Rosa earnestly, ‘even a nigger can’t stay dere. You will lose your way d’reckly—dere’s no path to guide you; and de alligators is awful. Dey kill you d’reckly dey see you. Oh, Missy Liz, for God’s sake, don’t try to go!’
‘Listen to me, dear Rosa. I must go! It is of no use to try and stop me. Monsieur de Courcelles has been very wicked, no doubt—I don’t defend his conduct—but once I loved him Rosa, and a woman can never quite forget the man she has loved.’
‘No, dat’s true, missy. Juan want me to marry him, but I keep thinking too much ob that rascal sailor boy what was de fader of my poor leetel Carlo—Dat’s truth,’ answered Rosa, shaking her black curls.
‘Well then, perhaps you can understand a little what I feel now, Rosa. Monsieur de Courcelles is in fearful danger. I know his spirit. He will never come out of the swamp to be taken prisoner again. He will faint from the fumes of the fearful miasma first, and sink for ever in the morass, or he will cast himself before the first cayman in his path. I may not find him, or I may be too late to give him any assistance, but I must try. I have the proper medicines here to counteract the effect of the swamp, for him and myself; and if I find him, I think with this disguise I may get him safely out again without attracting the notice of the police. I shall not go by Shanty Hill, Rosa. I shall make my way round by the Miners’ Gulch. There is an entrance there at the back of the Sans Souci plantation.’